Knowing that this was released two months before the sequel game, TWEWY: The Animation at times felt like a mad dash of the first game's events in order to prep the viewer for what was to come next. People who never played the game probably would be unbothered by the show's pacing. If I had to guess, I'd say non-players of the game may take issue with the lack of character development from the Reapers who are the villains of the story, and other characters such as the main cast. To be fair, TWEWY didn't have the most compelling characters to begin with BUT they each had distinct personalities that made them likable or stand out from one another. The animation waters down a lot of the nuances of their personalities resulting in them feeling like archetypes ex: Neku, the edgy and moody teenager. Shiki, the bubbly girlie-girl. Beat, the hothead. Rhyme, the voice of reason. Joshua, the sly and cunning mastermind.
On the other hand, the animation is stylish and colorful which matches the aesthetic of the game really well. Many of the action scenes look good too. The soundtrack is much of the original game's OST with a more updated sound, so it's good to know that the music still holds up. First-time listeners are in for a treat. The character designs are faithful to the game's so there isn't much to say there.
I think my feelings are mixed because I know how much potential this had to be a really good adaptation. There were so many things that they could've expanded on or updated for the sake of the story. Instead, we got a 12-episode recap of the game. I can't completely throw it away because there are some good things about it and non-players may even fall in love with it. This is definitely a case of "If you know, you know" which separates the players of the game from first-time viewers.
